Olympic medalist Dake leads strong Senior World Team Trials field in men’s freestyle

This weekend, 59 elite athletes will battle in the men’s freestyle division at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament being held at Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, Ky., May 16-17.

Multiple Olympians, World medalists, Senior World Team members, age-group standouts, college national champions and top high school prospects are in the fold with sights set on securing one of the eight remaining spots at Final X.

Online registration is open through May 15, leaving the door open for more athletes to enter last minute. However, the registration deadline to be eligible for tournament seeding was last Friday, making it unlikely many more entries come in. 

Eight brackets will be contested in the men’s freestyle division at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Each champion in Louisville will face the 2025 U.S. Open champion in a best-of-three series at Final X to determine the Team USA representative at the 2025 Senior World Championships. Final X will take place on June 14 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

There are two Final X matchups already determined in men’s freestyle, 57 kg and 61 kg, which removes those weight classes from the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament field.

Athletes must qualify to enter the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament field. To review the Senior World Team selection process in each discipline, including Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament qualification criteria, visit the Team Selection Criteria page.

A list of qualified athletes for Louisville post-U.S. Open is available on themat.com. A complete list of entries as of May 13 is available below.

Kyle Dake headlines the group at 86 kg. The two-time Olympic bronze medalist shifted to a new weight class in late April at the U.S. Open. Dake, a four-time Senior World champion, looks to secure the last spot in Final X.

There are six athletes that have competed at a Senior World Championship tournament. Nick Lee, Dake and Chance Marsteller were teammates on the 2023 Senior World Team that competed in Belgrade, Serbia.

James Green, a seven-time Senior World Team member and two-time Senior World medalist, is in the field at 70 kg. Green was the runner-up at this weight at the U.S. Open in late April.

A pair of 2022 Senior World Team members enter with international experience. Seth Gross, the runner up at 61 kg at the U.S. Open, bumps to 65 kg this weekend. Hayden Zillmer placed seventh at the 2022 Senior World Championships, and was the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up, securing the No. 2 spot on this past year’s Senior National Team.

Four past age-group World Champions are currently registered – Bo Bassett at 65 kg, Marcus Blaze at 65 kg, David Carr at 74 kg and Will Lewan at 70 kg.

Nine athletes were runners-up at the U.S. Open in April, and aim to secure a Final X berth this weekend – Gross at 65 kg (runner-up at 61 kg), Mendez at 65 kg, Green at 70 kg, Carr at 74 kg, Dean Hamiti at 79 kg, Dake at 86 kg, Aeoden Sinclair at 92 kg, Aiello at 97 kg, and Demetrius Thomas at 125 kg.

65 kg

With ten entries, the bracket at 65 kg will be one of the most electric at the Senior World Team Trials. This group is arguably the most experienced internationally, and at the NCAA level. Past Senior World Team members Nick Lee and Seth Gross are set to compete, while a pair of age-group World Champions in Bo Bassett and Marcus Blaze are also registered at 65 kg this weekend. Age-group World medalists Beau Bartlett, Brock Hardy, and Jesse Mendez are also top contenders. Real Woods, a proven high-level NCAA competitor, brings valuable experience to this group. Rounding out the field are Aden Valencia and Carter Young, two competitors that look to shake-up the outcome.

70 kg

At 70 kg, another ten-man field is led by a mix of NCAA champions, age-group medalists, and freestyle veterans. U.S. Open runner-up, seven-time Senior World Team member and two-time Senior World medalist James Green aims to once again secure a Final X berth in Louisville.

NCAA champions Caleb Henson, Ridge Lovett, and Antrell Taylor enter with strong momentum from March. Age-group World medalists Bryce Andonian, PJ Duke, and Will Lewan bring international success. Jackson Arrington, Brayton Lee, and Ian Parker look to assert themselves on the national scene.

86 kg

Though only five entries deep, 86 kg is arguably the most exciting weight class due to the experience and talent of this group. Four-time Senior World champion and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake looks to advance to Final X at 86 kg, having previously competed at 74 kg and 79 kg. 2023 Senior World Team member Chance Marsteller is back to defend his spot, this time at 86 kg. Five-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci and NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen are top challengers, and consistent national contender Marcus Coleman enters, capable of shaking up the bracket.

The Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament is scheduled for at 10 a.m. (ET) start time on Friday, May 16, with preliminaries and quarterfinal matches. The semifinals will follow at 4 p.m. (ET) on Friday. The men’s freestyle finals will begin at Noon (ET) on Saturday, May 17.

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcast partner for the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Fans can watch the event live or on-demand at FloWrestling.com.

Online results for the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament will be available on USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.

For more information about the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, please visit usawrestlingevents.com.

Team Trials Challenge Tournament will be available on USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.

For more information about the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, please visit usawrestlingevents.com.

• Event website
• Live stream
• Brackets and results

Friday, May 16 

10 a.m. – Preliminaries, quarterfinals

4 p.m. – Semifinals, consolations

Saturday, May 17 

10 a.m. – Consolations

12 p.m. – Finals, third place matches

*All times listed are U.S. Eastern Time, local time in Louisville, Ky.

65 kg (10 Entries) 

Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Bo Bassett (Titan Mercury WC)

Marcus Blaze (Titan Mercury WC)

Seth Gross (MATPACK WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Brock Hardy (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Aden Valencia (California RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Real Woods (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Carter Young (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg (10 Entries) 

Bryce Andonian (SERTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Jackson Arrington (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)

PJ Duke (Titan Mercury WC)

James Green (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Caleb Henson (SERTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Brayton Lee (New York WC/Indiana RTC)

Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Ridge Lovett (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Ian Parker (Cavalier WC)

Antrell Taylor (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg (9 Entries) 

Terrell Barraclough (Brunson UVRTC)

Joseph Blaze (Boilermaker RTC)

Michael Caliendo (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury Wrestling WC)

David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Peyton Hall (New York WC/West Virginia RTC)

Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

Quincy Monday (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Elroy Perkin (Air Force RTC)

Edward Scott (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg (7 Entries) 

Levi Haines (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Dean Hamiti (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Carson Kharchla (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Muhamed McBryde (New York AC)

Kennedy Monday (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Ethan Riddle (Minnesota RTC)

Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg (5 Entries) 

Marcus Coleman (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Parker Keckeisen (Panther WC – RTC)

Chance Marsteller (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Carter Starocci (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg (6 Entries) 

Joshua Barr (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Patrick Brophy (Charleston RTC)

Jacob Cardenas (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style WC)

97 kg (6 Entries) 

Jonathan Aiello (Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania)

Christian Knop (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Ethan Laird (DMV RTC)

Justin Rademacher (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC)

Eric Schultz (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg (6 Entries) 

Trent Hillger (Gopher WC)

Christian Lance (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Lucas Stoddard (West Point WC)

Demetrius Thomas (New York AC)

Jordan Wood (New York AC)

Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC)